Processes for sulfation often utilized in laboratories include the use of chlorosulfonic acid, which are then not feasible industrially as hydrochloric gas evolution and corrosion issues do not allow for use of chlorosulfonic acid without, for example, costly, corrosion resistant equipment. Current commercial sulfation routes, such as falling film sulfur trioxide, give exhaustively high levels of sulfation and do not tolerate much water in the reaction mixtures. Therefore, there exists a need to have a commercially viable route for sulfation of alkoxylated amines, quaternized, alkoxylated amines, alkoxylated polyols, poly(alklene glycols), and mixtures thereof giving a controlled level of sulfation that can also tolerate the presence of water in the starting oligomer/polymer materials.